Welding rails under traffic



Sept. 17, 1929. .1. H. DEFPELER 1,728,232

WELDING RAILS UNDER TRAFFIC Filed Sept. 8, 1928 HIS ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WELDING RAILS UNDER TRAFFIC Application filed September 8, 1928.

The invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the alumino-thermic welding of rails under traffic, the invention con'lprising the fixing of the adjacent rail ends against relative movement by forcing a locking member, preferably in the form of a wedge, vertically between the ends of the rail heads to effect notched engagement therewith and also to place the rails under heavy compression, which will be effective, when the alumino-thermic metal is castabout the parts, to produce a pressure weld between the locking member and the rail ends.

The accompanying drawings illustrate two modes of applying the locking member.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the rail ends and the locking wedge in the process of insertionbetween the rail heads.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a wedge flanked by shims.

In the welding of rails by the aluminothermic method without interrupting traffic, the most important problem met is to provide means for locking the rail ends together, so that there can be no relative motion of the rail ends during the welding operation and during the preparatory work before the actual welding regardless of the number of wheel loads passing over the joint. In a previous application, Serial No. 250,201, filed on the 28th day of January, 1928, there is disclosed a mode of fixing the adjacent rail ends against relative movement, which, in its specific application, involves the formation of transverse notches in the rail webs and forcing a wedging member into bridging engagement with said notches. The pres nt invention is designed to afford a somew at simpler mode of locking the rail ends against relative movement and at the same time imposing on the rails longitudinal compressive stresses which will be effective in producing a homogeneous pressure weld when the superheated molten metal is teemed about the ends to formthe joint.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numerals 1 and 2 indicate the ends of the rails to be welded together, the webs and bases of the rails being separated by a standard gap 3, while the rail heads are separated by a smaller gap Serial No. 304,795.

4. Into the latter is driven, in a vertical direction, a locking member 5, preferably in the form of a wedge of steel. As the rails are fastened to the cross ties and because of the driving in of the wedge 5 until the top thereof is substantially flush with the rail treads, the effect will be to cause a notched engagement between the end faces of the rail heads and the wedge and will not only look the rails against relative movement, but will also im pose a heavy longitudinal compressive stress on the rails, so that, when the superheated alumino-thermic metal is cast about the rail ends, in the usual type of mold employed for this purpose, the rail ends and the interposed wedge or locking member are raised to welding temperature and because of the compressive force applied to the rails by the wedge, an effective pressure weld will be produced between the ends of the rail heads and the locking member 5, the other elements of the rail ends being united by the alumino-thermic metal when the latter cools.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the adjacent ends of the rails to be welded are separated throughout by a standard gap 3 and the rails are locked together to prevent any relative movement by means of a steel wedge 5,

which is flanked by shims 6, 6 of soft iron or mild steel, so that, when the wedge is driven home, traffic may proceed uninterruptedly over the joint. In this case, the interlock is formed by the notching of the steel of the rail heads and of the wedge into the soft iron shims, and the latter serve to produce a more effective and homogeneous pressure weld between the steel of the rail heads and the steel of the wedge when the aluminothermic metal is teemed about the joint as before described. 7

What I claim is:

1. The method of welding rails which comprises fixing the adjacent rail ends against relative movement by forcing a looking member vertically between the ends of the rail heads to effect notched engagement therewith and exert a longitudinal compressive force on the rails, and casting aluminothermic metal about the parts to produce a pressure weld between the locking member and the rail ends.

2. The method of welding rails which, comprises fixing the adjacent rail ends against relative movement by forcing a metal wedge vertically between the ends of the rail heads to effect notched engagement therewith and exert a longitudinal compressive force on the rails, and casting alumino-thermic metal about the parts to produce a pressurieS weld between the wedge and the rail en 3. The method of welding rails which comprises fixing the adjacent rail ends against relative movement by forcing a steel 7 wedge flanked by iron shims vertically between the ends of the rail heads to effect notched engagement between the several elements and exert a longitudinal compressive force on the rails, and casting alumino-thermic metal about the parts to produce a pres sure weld between the wedge and the rail ends.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN H. DEPPELER. 

